BBC - History - Anne Boleyn and the Downfall of her Family Anne Boleyn and the Downfall of her Family By Richard Bevan Last updated 2012-11-05 Anne Boleyn was the first English queen to be publicly executed. Five hundred years after her death, her tragic tale is still the subject of historians and the inspiration for films. Out of all of Henry VIII's wives, Anne is perhaps the most famous and instantly associated with the gargantuan Tudor King. On this page Print this page Introduction On the 19th May, 1536 at 8.00am, a thirty-six-year-old woman took her place on a scaffold dressed in a robe of black damask covered by an ermine mantle of white. Instead of denying her guilt as an adulteress and disciple of witchcraft, she delivered a generous speech praising her former lord and lover Henry VIII. After being blindfolded, she waited only a few seconds before a French swordsman severed her head from her delicate neck. Greek tragedy The story of the Boleyns could be likened to a Greek tragedy.

They were an accomplished family, ennobled within a short period of time, only to find themselves the victims of the very prominence so desperately sought and attained by Anne's father, Sir Thomas Boleyn. His daughter's rapid ascension to the throne due to his own influence was also to be his entire family's undoing when Anne was accused of treason. The story of the Boleyns could be likened to a Greek tragedy. Thomas, only fourteen years older than Henry himself, was a respected mercer with a talent for languages and diplomacy. He was already established at the Royal Court well before Henry became King in 1509. Even his marriage to the well-connected Lady Elizabeth Howard seemed to work to his advantage, enhancing his ruthless ambitions. A father's master plan Their three children, George, Mary and Anne, were all well-educated and formed part of their father's grand master plan to attain greater power and status. Anne, the youngest of the sisters, was extremely close to her brother George but possibly had a more distant relationship with her elder sister Mary, exacerbated by the fact that the latter became a discarded mistress of Henry. The young girls spent their teenage years in France as ladies-in-waiting to Henry's sister the French Queen.

Later they were to part when Anne was transferred to the court of the new French Queen, Claude, while Mary returned home. Anne arrived back in England when she was about twenty and was immediately placed in the household of Henry's wife, Katherine of Aragon, as maid of honour. Top Sexual magnetism Anne's French manner in both dress sense and attitude charmed many at the English court. Her dark looks were at the time unfashionable and although she was never recognised as a great beauty, her sexual magnetism and the way she captivated those around her is well documented. Indeed her presence influenced women at court to copy her sartorial style. It was this 'difference' as well as her wit, intelligence and effervescence that attracted the King. Some years later, Henry was to convince himself that he had been 'bewitched' by Anne when she was accused of adultery. It was said that she was the only woman who ever dared to argue and answer back to Henry. But as Anne's status increased with the prospect of becoming Henry's consort, so her own star's ascendancy helped enrich her family's fortunes. Anne's father was created Earl of Wiltshire and her brother Lord George Rochford was appointed to the Royal Privy Chamber.

Even brother-in-law William Carey benefited from his association with the Boleyns. Henry secretly wed Anne on 25th of January, 1533, and with that secured the Boleyns' status as one of the most influential families in the land. It was said that she was the only woman who ever dared to argue and answer back to Henry. At the time, the King tolerated his lover's feisty demeanour and her witty repartee excited him. Years later, perhaps reflecting on his tumultuous relationship with Anne, Henry was to insist on a future wife who was servile and 'untroublesome'. It is also questionable whether Anne really loved Henry or simply relished the idea of becoming Queen after her initial betrothal to Lord Henry Percy was callously terminated by Cardinal Wolsey. There is little doubt that had she married Percy as intended, she would have at least avoided an early demise at the executioner's block. Top Accusations Despite producing a healthy baby girl, Elizabeth, Anne's failure to provide a male heir was the beginning of the end of her and her family's streak of good luck.

Henry's disaffection caused by her second miscarriage of a defective child was the one act - besides accusations of adultery - that would certainly destroy his trust in her. She had to be blamed for bringing about misfortune into the nursery as Henry would never be found culpable. Anne's failure to provide a male heir was the beginning of the end of her and her family's streak of good luck. Instead five innocent men, including Anne's brother Lord Rochford, became the sacrificial lambs to rid Henry of what had become to him as tiresome a predicament as his protracted divorce from Queen Catherine. Whether or not Henry chose to accept the accusations of Anne's adultery in order to salve his own conscience is not clear, but it must be remembered that the belief in witchcraft in the 16th century associated the birth of deformed babies with illicit sexual practices. Sir Francis Weston, William Brereton, Mark Smeaton, Sir Henry Norris and Anne's brother Lord Rochford were arrested under suspicion of having relations with the Queen. The famous poet Sir Thomas Wyatt was also imprisoned but later released from the Tower. All the accused men were well known for their licentious behaviour and for this reason possibly became easy targets for incrimination.

When Anne finally heard about the allegations she laughed at the absurdity of such findings... A secret commission, including Thomas Cromwell, Anne's father and her uncle the Duke of Norfolk, was put forward to inquire into allegations of sexual misconduct and witchcraft by the Queen. At first Anne was unaware of the conspiratorial efforts to bring about her downfall and it is more than likely that her father warned her of the seriousness of the matter. When Anne finally heard about the allegations, she laughed at the absurdity of such findings when some of her accused lovers such as the musician and possibly homosexual Mark Smeaton had only met her briefly. Anne's brother, Lord Rochford was the most important suspect. He was accused of responsibility for his sister's last miscarried child after it was alleged that both he and Anne had conspired out of desperation to produce a male heir. Interestingly Rochford's wife, Jane Parker, perhaps motivated by vengeance for her husband's rumoured affairs, spoke ill of him during court proceedings. Ironically Parker was herself beheaded several years later for treason relating to Henry's fifth and equally doomed wife Catherine Howard.

Top Sorcery The Tower of London where Anne Boleyn was executed © At Anne's trial, presided over by her uncle, the Duke of Norfolk, she was accused of acting the 'libertine' before her marriage to Henry. So many factors worked against the Queen, reinforcing the view that she was a disciple of Satan who had 'bewitched' Henry with sorcery. Anne's minor physical defects, namely an extra digit on her hand and a prominent neck mole added to the belief that she was a 'she-devil'. Above all, her inability to produce a healthy male heir condemned her further. Despite inaccuracies relating to dates when Anne was supposed to have conducted her affairs, the belief that as a witch she could materialise in any place at any time invalidated any such evidence from being used in her defence. Imprisonment Anne's minor physical defects... added to the belief that she was a 'she-devil'. After Anne's arrival at the Tower in April 1536 it was noted that her behaviour oscillated from a resigned calmness to occasional bouts of hysteria and depression. One moment she would be laughing, sometimes maniacally, the next weeping uncontrollably.

It is perhaps little wonder that due to her miscarriage several months before and worrying about her family, that she was extremely emotional during this stressful time. William Kingston, the Constable of the Tower took pity on Anne and recorded that she enquired about her father, also her 'sweet broder (brother)' and lamented that her mother would die of 'sorrow' for her. During Anne's imprisonment at the Tower - ironically in the same state rooms she had resided during her happy coronation - her family were forbidden to see her. Perhaps it is not too difficult to imagine how Anne's family must have suffered. Apart from the shame of being socially ostracised, they must have indeed been in a state of shock and disbelief that their once privileged and envied existence was crumbling around them. Anne's parents were after all not only witnessing the humiliating downfall of their daughter, the Queen of England, but also the destruction of a much loved son. Anne was left in agonising uncertainty of whether she would be beheaded or burned at the stake... On Monday 15th of May, 1536, the Duke of Norfolk proclaimed the death sentence on Anne with 'tears in his eyes'. The convicted men suffered painful deaths.

Anne herself was left in agonising uncertainty of whether she would be beheaded or burned at the stake, until her friend and supporter Archbishop Cramner was able to inform her that she would be spared the latter. Top Social ostracism It is difficult to imagine how Sir Thomas, Anne's father, managed to continue his role at the royal court both during his daughter's trial and after her execution. Did he become emotionally dislocated in order to protect the rest of his family or was he perhaps convinced that Anne would be spared the executioner's axe? Sadly there are no written records that have survived to contribute to a clearer understanding. But the fact that Sir Thomas' much loved and only son was accused of incest could only have served to increase the degree of shame and trauma visited upon the Boleyn family. It is baffling to think that Anne's father could continue working in such close proximity to his children's slayer. Certainly the fear of what Henry may do to remaining members of the Boleyn family perhaps influenced Sir Thomas to continue working by Henry's side. After Thomas' wife died in 1537, a year after Anne's death, he shortly passed away himself.

It was said Elizabeth, Anne's mother, had died from a broken heart. A remaining daughter, Mary, died in 1542 but was survived by a young daughter and the rumoured illegitimate son of Henry. Less than eight years after Anne had become Queen of England and brought about the ennoblement her father had so desperately sought, not one member of the immediate Boleyn household had survived. It is believed that remaining relatives, stigmatised by such tragic events, left England's shores for Ireland. Anne Boleyn Anne Boleyn Annotated Bibliography Anne Boleyn's in volvement with King Henry VIII of England helped to change the course of history. Such a remarkable role would not have been foreseen at her birth. Historians can only conjecture that she was born between 1501 and 1509, with a likely date of 1507. Her father, Thomas Boleyn, was a member of the Privy Council and an important diplomat who served his king. It was Thomas' travels to France that earned Anne, and her older sister Mary, a place at French court. Both of them spent time as lady's maids to royal members of the French court.

Upon her return to England, her father had arranged for her to marry James Butler. This would have been politically advantageous to her father as well as King Henry VIII. The wedding never took place, however, due to Anne's attraction to Lord James Percy. Anne was sent back to her father's native country of Ireland, only to be summoned back in 1522 to the English court as a lady in waiting to Henry's first wife, Queen Catherine . While serving Catherine in about 1526, Anne caught the eye of King Henry, who had already had an affair with her older sister Mary. Anne long resisted Henry's pressure to become his mistress, preferring marriage. His desire for Anne increased his efforts to secure an annulment from his marriage to Catherine of Aragon. During their eighteen-year marriage, Catherine had failed to give Henry a male heir to the throne of England, only producing a daughter, Mary. Henry wanted a male heir to prevent a civil war, like the Wars of the Roses which his father, Henry VII had won to become king. So in 1527 Henry asked the pope for an annulment of his marriage, similar to other annulments the pope had granted kings and princes.

Catherine on the other hand had many sympathizers and supporters, including her nephew, Emperor Charles V, whose armies threatened the pope in Rome. After theologians argued that the pope lacked freedom to make a decision on the matter, in January 1533, Henry secretly wed Anne who was already pregnant with the couple's first child Elizabeth. Three months before Henry and Catherine's marriage was officially declared invalid by the Archbishop of Canterbury. Anne was only twenty-six years old and Henry was forty-two. Still, Anne was an educated and independent woman. Many have compared her and the recently deceased Diana, Princess of Wales (see below). While many Roman Catholics despised her, many Protestant Reformers hailed Anne and praised her. Anne's protection helped the Protestants further their cause. Henry crowned her queen on June 1, 1533. As a result of his marriage problems, Henry and his Parliament passed the Act of Supremacy in 1534, which proclaimed the king as head of the Church of England. Although Henry VIII himself was a religious conservative, England slowly began to create the branch of Christianity known as Anglicanism, which often considers itself to have taken a middle road between Luther's and Calvin's Protestantism and Roman Catholicism.

It also closely involved Parliament in the key decisions, including the Act of Succession, allowing representatives of the people a vital role in choosing the next dynastic monarch. This change did not help Anne, though, since after three years of marriage she had not provided a male heir (after two stillbirths). Henry began to be disenchanted with Anne and took on another mistress, Jane Seymour. The ex-queen Catherine had also died on January 7, 1536. On May 2, the king had Anne arrested. The king made a barrage of charges made against Anne, including that she was a witch ( see below ). Henry devised a plot with the assistance of Thomas Cromwell. Anne was charged with adultery, including an incestuous relationship with her brother George. Many researchers have argued, however, that these charges were false. Her alleged suitors confessed to the charges under torture, leaving doubt that Anne was really guilty. The charges of adultery brought against Anne were merely an excuse to have Anne executed so that Henry would be free to marry Jane Seymour. She was executed primarily because she did not produce a surviving male heir to the throne.

Despite Anne's attempt to persuade the court to give her a fair trial, she was found guilty, her marriage dissolved and her daughter Elizabeth a bastard.. Anne Boleyn was beheaded on May 19, 1536. Henry married Jane Seymour soon following, and never spoke of Anne ever again. Jane Seymour gave Henry his long-desired male heir, but she died after childbirth. Henry would go on and marry three other women: Anne of Cleves, Anne's cousin Katherine Howard, and Katherine Parr, who outlived Henry. Jane's son reigned a few years as King Edward VI, but he died young. Catherine's daughter Mary became queen, and England did not suffer a serious civil war as Henry had feared. But Queen Mary gained a notorious reputation and also died after a few years. So, Anne's daughter Elizabeth inherited the throne to become the great Queen Elizabeth I , who, ironically, was a more successful ruler than most monarchs, male or female. Original biography Melissa Toscani, as revised by Brian A. Pavlac " Anne Boleyn as a Witch ," by Brian A. Pavlac. Anne Boleyn's reputation for being a witch has been unfairly held against her.

In trying to find grounds to incriminate her, King Henry claimed that she had used witchcraft to make him fall in love with her. He also said he feared that she would harm him with poison -- a common accusation against witches. Her enemies also repeated charges of physical deformity, such as that she was too tall, had a sixth finger (which was probably just an extra fingernail), and had strange warts and growths on her body that could have been witch's teats. The allegedly deformed male fetus of her last birth in 1536 was also used against her. While raised as an issue at first, witchcraft did not end up among the charges used by the court which found her guilty of treason in conspiracy with her alleged lovers (including her brother). That the first English law against witchcraft was passed just a few years after her trial, in 1542, reflects the growing fears about witches in England, in which Anne was also ensnared. On Anne and witchcraft, see especially the book by Warnicke . For more on witches see The Witch Hunts (1400-1800) .

" Parallels of Anne Boleyn and Princess Di : Disposable Royal Wives" by Brian A. Pavlac. The most obvious parallel between Queen Anne (b.1507?-d.1536) and Princess Diana (b. 1961-d.1997) is that both were cast aside, when the monarchy no longer needed them. But how these women of minor nobility became and lived as royal wives was very different. King Henry VIII at first had a true passion for Anne, who, surprisingly, was not eager to fall into the king's bed. Her reputation for virginity, unlike her older sister whose sexual activity was less pure, made her a suitable breeding candidate for royal offspring. Henry Tudor's tempting her with marriage eventually overcame her resistance. Unfortunately, the scandal created by his marrying her and annulling his first marriage with Catherine of Aragon did not help Anne's popularity. Many with Roman Catholic sympathies blamed her for the break with the papacy. And Anne had no real public role, being only perceived as a sexual partner and a breeder--as was typical of the 16th Century.

The English people had little contact with or love for her (except for a few Protestant reformers). Anne's failure to bear an heir doomed her. When Henry turned to another (Jane Seymour) for sex and breeding, he needed to get rid of Anne as quickly and conveniently as possible. Tortured conspirators and bribed or intimidated witnesses before a kangaroo court expedited her execution. Although the media manufactured a romance, Charles and Di never shared much passion. Prince Charles Windsor seems to have used Lady Diana Spencer's virtue of virginity as the main criteria for choosing her as a spouse (and like Anne, Di had an older sister, Sarah, who had been involved with the prince, but lacked the virtuous reputation). Charles, for his own reasons, clearly never desired her as a sexual partner, turning to his old flame, Camilla. Charles would hardly have been able to end the marriage, though, since Diana was protected in her position by tradition, church law, and the Queen's conservative attitudes on family. Most important, modern media had granted her a unique public status as a popular royal figure comparable to, if not surpassing, Charles and even Queen Elizabeth II.

And Princess Di did fulfill her role as a breeder, begetting the "heir and the spare." But she refused to put up with a sham marriage, and revealed her unhappiness to the sympathetic media, leading to a formal marital separation. Because of the exposure of Di's own marital infidelity, however, she embarrassed the monarchy. Although she lost some public sympathy, her charm and popularity still protected her. And, fortunately, by the late 20th Century divorce was a more acceptable means of dumping adulterous royal wives than execution. The monarchy eventually agreed to the end of the marriage in 1996. Her sudden and surprising death in 1997 preserved her in public memory as a life cut short. Strangely enough, the idea of the execution method has been resurrected with posthumous publications (by her butler among others) of Diana's alleged fear that she would be murdered to make way for Charles to legitimately remarry. Thus the historical connection between Princess Di and Queen Anne Boleyn has become more noticeable. Annotated Bibliography Albert, Marvin H. The Divorce. New York, N.Y.: Simon Shuster, 1965.

Albert begins this book by examining the life of Henry VIII and his first wife Catherine of Spain. The second portion of the book contains a major section dedicated to Anne Boleyn. Boleyn is referred to as the "other woman." The book also examines the constant meddling by Cardinal Wolsey into both Anne's and Henry's lives. Also, mentioned is how Henry's wish to divorce his first wife Catherine, was refused by Pope Clement and how this situation would be a key factor in England's break from the Catholic Church. The book also discusses the enemies Henry made by his divorce from Catherine and the large number of supporters she would acquire. Anne Boleyn's downfall and the accusations, including one of an incestuous relationship with her brother George, made against her, are all discussed. This chapter is appropriately entitled, 'Sword for a slender neck.' The work includes an index and bibliography to assist in further research of Anne Boleyn and also providing evidence and support to Albert's work. Included are also copies of handwritten letters from Catherine to Henry, and vice versa. Anonymous. "Boleyn, Anne." Biography. 22 September 1997. (19 March 1998).

Written as an encyclopedia article, this site only offers an extremely brief synopsis of Anne Boleyn's life. This website includes a search option to research other famous individuals but the information given is also brief. Bowle, John. Henry VIII. Boston, MA: Little, Brown and Company. 1964. Although the book primarily concerns itself with the life of Henry VIII, it does not fail to discuss and analyze the relationship between Henry and Anne Boleyn. It discusses Henry's actions appointing Anne to the position of Marchioness of Pembroke, and the large endowment she would receive with that title. After Anne Boleyn was married to Henry and because she was the new Queen of England, she would face a great deal of unpopularity especially from the peasants. They claimed that since Anne came in as Queen, the crops had been terrible, and unemployment and inflation were getting worse (Bowle,176). Many had perceived her as arrogant and cruel. The power that Anne held over Henry was also mentioned. This power is what the author would claim to be his ruination.

Henry's claims that he had been seduced by witchcraft and that he was free to take another wife, was a primary reason discussed as to why Henry would ultimately have his wife tried with adultery and treason. This book is a good work written on the life of Henry VIII, but it also provides the reader with some valuable insight on the life of Anne Boleyn. The book includes an index to assist the reader in finding specific people and events in Henry's life as well as a valuable and extensive lineage chart of the royalty of Europe during Henry's time. Bruce, Marie Louise. Anne Boleyn. New York, N.Y.: Coward, McCann, and Geoghegan, Inc., 1972 Bruce provides the reader with an in depth, thorough examination of Anne Boleyn's life. Anne was given contact to the Royal Court through her father, Thomas Boleyn, one of six of Henry VII's Esquires. When Henry VII died, Thomas held on to his position in the royal household.

Anne received an education in France and as the author points out, "her education in France was influenced by two opposing attitudes in the King's Court, a devout, almost monastic religious piety, and a rampant eroticism disguised by the gallant conventions of 'courtly love'." Both attitudes were to have profound influence on Anne's character and play a significant role in Anne's life. Upon her return from France, Anne would enjoy a life in the court of Henry VIII and she was to wed James Butler as part of an arrangement made by her father as well as the King, himself. The only problem was that she had eyes for another man, Lord James Percy. An affair would soon ensue and Anne would be exiled to Ireland, home country of her father. Anne, however, would eventually return to England, becoming maid of honor to Queen Catherine, Henry's first wife. As a result of closer contact to the King, it was said that Anne engaged in an affair with poet and consultant to the King, Thomas Wyatt, as well as the King himself. When Catherine did not produce a male heir to the throne, Henry sought a divorce from his wife of eighteen years and to marry Anne.

Anne would become Queen, producing only one surviving child, Elizabeth. Anne would now also face a threat from the King's new mistress, Jane Seymour. The King along with Sir Thomas Cromwell plotted a way to dispose of Anne. Anne would be accused and found guilty of adultery, as well as treason. Anne would be held prisoner and given an unjust trial and ultimately beheaded. Bruce includes an extensive section of many useful notes and sources as well as an index, easily helping to further research on Anne Boleyn. There is no doubt of the legitimacy of Bruce's work. Cockburn, Alexander. "Romance in Ruritania." Nation, 8 February 1993, 150-152. An entertaining article, although it fails to significantly mention Anne Boleyn. It does however, use her name to compare the scandal surrounding her marriage to Henry VIII and her death to many other scandals (especially those of sexual nature) to those of the later royal families of England. It refers to those scandals surrounding Queen Victoria, Princess Diana and Prince Charles. The article is used to entertain rather to provide any real informative information surrounding Anne Boleyn nor any of the others mentioned. Dowling, Maria.

"Debate: The Fall of Anne Boleyn Revisited." English Historical Review, July 1993, 450-451. Although the magazine in which this article was found is predominately a magazine of book reviews, Dowling presents her critique in the form of a debate. She debates the work of Retha Warnicke, The Fall of Anne Boleyn. Dowling challenges Warnicke's statement regarding why Henry VIII chose to dispose of Anne Boleyn. Warnicke. Warnicke claims it was based on witchcraft, however, Dowling feels she fails to provide enough evidence to support this theory. Dowling also feels that the role Anne played in religion was not adequately presented. This was an informative article presenting the sides of the story, which Warnicke fails to address in her book. Eakins, Lara E. "Anne Boleyn." Tudor Simplenet. 1995-2005. < > (10 January 2005). This site provides a good biography, some interesting portraits of Anne Boleyn, pictures of places where she lived, and a few brief primary sources (like her final speech on the scaffold).

Also, as the site's author writes: "This site contains biographical information on people during the Tudor period (1485-1603) of English history, as well as calendars, glossaries, maps, genealogical trees, information on life during the period, Tudor architecture and more. There are also pages on Tudor history in today's world, such as recent discoveries in the news, new books and movies. Connect to others with similar interests through the mailing lists and pen pal pages." Erickson, Carolly. Mistress Anne. New York, N.Y.: Summit Books, 1984. An in depth view into the life of Anne Boleyn, which pays particular attention to her life as mistress of Henry VIII. It was important to the Boleyn family that their daughter, marry into an influential family, that is why she was originally to wed James Butler. This marriage would not only benefit the Boleyn family, but England and King Henry as well. This book separates itself from other books written on Anne Boleyn's life, in that it focuses on how Anne's relationships and status would benefit those closest to her.

The author also does not deny that Henry was infatuated with Anne but that she would also be very beneficial by perhaps providing him with a male heir to the throne. This would however not turn out to be true. The author also tries to present much of Anne's story in her own words as well as the words of the people close to her. Quotations are frequently used. There is also an interesting section dealing with the warnings that Henry gave Anne about what his relationship to her was costing him in terms of new enemies and the loss of friends. The book stressed that Anne was obligated to Henry. This book is useful in examining the purpose to which Anne served Henry and others. There are many interesting pictures included in this book as well as a thorough bibliography and index. Hackett, Francis. Henry The Eighth. New York, N.Y.: Liveright Publishing Corporation, 1957. This book on Henry's life provides the reader with a specific chapter dedicated to Anne Boleyn, as to his other five wives. This book portrays Anne as a political pawn. Henry's relationship to Anne was said to have bore him two or more legitimate children, Queen Elizabeth and the Church of England.

The book focuses on Anne's refusal to remain as Henry's mistress, she wanted to be the Queen of England. The book also discusses unpopularity surrounding Henry's divorce from Catherine. Henry as well as Anne were viewed unfavorably many especially women. Anne was said to have to, "fly from an irate mob of thousands of women (Hackett,219)." Although the information concerning Anne Boleyn is included in a brief section dedicated to her, the information is worth reading and provides the reader with some interesting details surrounding the relationship between Henry and Anne. Ives, E.W. Anne Boleyn. New York, N.Y.: Basil Blackwel Ltd., 1986. This book begins by including extensive charts of titles as well as offices of the royal houses of Europe. Ives includes thorough information regarding the background of Anne Boleyn as well as the relationships she formed. Ives focuses particular attention to Anne's death and the scandal surrounding it. An interesting section Ives includes regards Anne's taste in art and the qualities that were important to Anne. These include beauty, chastity, virtue, and nobility. Anne's badge, the crowned falcon, is also discussed in detail.

There is also a chapter discussing the role in which Anne played during the Reformation. Anne was said to be very fond of the Christian Humanists of France. It also examines what importance the Bible was to her. This book portrays Anne as a victim of the court. This would lead to her untimely death. Ives gives the reader a lengthy, yet very informative and useful book on Anne Boleyn. There is a good index included, to easily the assist the reader. Owen, Elizabeth, Producer. "The Six Wives of Henry VIII." PBS. 2003. < > (16 November, 2004). Part of a website dedicated to the television mini-series. Beautiful design with history in the form of books. Detailed and accurate information. Links to lots of more material. Worth exploring in detail. Rex, Richard. Henry VIII and the English Reformation. New York, N.Y.: St. Martin's Press, 1993. Rex discusses how Anne Boleyn's relationship with Henry proved to be a decisive factor in the Protestant Reformation. It was a victory for Protestantism over Catholicism. Henry's divorce was extremely unpopular and Catherine was soon cast as the wronged wife.

Women in particular were sympathetic towards Catherine. The divorce of Catherine and the death of Anne proved that a king could overpower the Catholic Church. Episcopal appointments during the reign of Anne Boleyn were predominately of evangelical patronage reformers, helping to promote and protect Protestant ways. While this book is not a book devoted to the life of Anne Boleyn, it does however, clarify the role Anne played in the Reformation. Notes, an index, and a bibliography are included. Saraga, Jessica. "Paperback History." History Today, January 1994, 54-56. Saraga presents several yet, brief book reviews of historical books available in paperback. Some books are relevant to Anne Boleyn specifically, while others are about people, places, and events of her time. These would include cardinal Wolsey, and the Proestant and Catholic Reformations, English Reformation, Henry VIII, and the Tudors. It gives a review on Retha Warnicke's book, The Rise and Fall of Anne Boleyn. The article provides a list of valuable resources to help further research about Anne Boleyn and people and events relevant to her life and death.

Warnicke , Retha M. The Rise and Fall of Anne Boleyn. New York, N.Y.: Cambridge University Press, 1989. Warnicke gives complete backgrounds on Anne Boleyn and her family including family allegiances. The book pays particular attention to the letters written between Henry VIII and Anne while Henry was still married. These letters would be used against Henry during the process of trying to obtain a divorce from Catherine of Aragon. There are multiple pictures of Anne, Henry, and his court. The book frequently mentions Anne's patronage and supporters. There is a great deal of attention paid to the sexual allegations, as well as the allegations of witchcraft brought against Anne. Her deformity of a sixth finger was attributed to witchcraft. The secret commission formed to investigate these allegations included Anne's father, Thomas Cromwell and her uncle. Four commoners, her brother, and herself would all be ultimately executed. Henry's marriage to Anne was declared invalid freeing him to marry, Jane Seymour. The author also includes an interesting section about Nicholas Sander, one of the first writers to portray Anne in a very negative light.

Warnicke has given counter evidence challenging those accusations made against the Boleyn's, especially the accusation that Anne and her brother George were involved in an incestuous affair. There are extensive notes included at the end of the book and an index. Warnicke tries to present all sides of the stories surrounding Anne Boleyn. Weber, Louise. Senior Producer. Henry VIII, Masterpiece Theatre. PBS. < > (16 November 2004). A site to accompany the recent television broadcast. It has some useful information on the actual production (with production notes, "frivolous bits" of trivia, synopses), as well as some useful links and an uncommented bibliography. Weir, Alison. The Six Wives of Henry VIII. New York, N.Y.: Grove Weidenfield, 1991. This book begins with an extensive chronology concerning all of Henry's wives. It includes the important events surrounding them. It is very useful and informative. The first part of the book is dedicated to Katherine of Aragon. The second part is dedicated to Anne Boleyn. The third part concerns itself with Henry's four remaining wives: Jane Seymour, Anne of Cleves, Katherine Howard, and Katherine Parr.

The chapters dealing specifically with Anne Boleyn, examine how many Catholics despised her but was seen as a saintly queen by Protestant writers. In their eyes she did so much to further true religion in England, gave her protection to the followers of Luther, and produced the great Queen Elizabeth(p144). The book examines how Anne was certainly not a saint, but neither an adulteress or guilty of incest with her brother. It traces the Boleyn family history. The book looks at life at the court, the relationship between Anne and Henry while he was still married to Katherine and her relationship to poet, Thomas Wyatt. The book includes many excerpts of correspondences between Anne and Henry. The King's 'great matter' is discussed in detail and the challenges Henry faced in getting a divorce from Katherine. Henry's need for an alliance with Spain and to make peace with Charles V, nephew of Katherine of Aragon is also examined. Thomas Cromwell and the allegations made against Anne and the conspiracy that transpired are also examined. The Queen's decapitation is described and how King Henry would never speak of her again. The author includes a thorough bibliography and index.

There is also a section of genealogical tables of Henry's as well as all of his wives families. Interesting pictures are also included. This book provides a good amount of useful information relevant to the life of Anne Boleyn. Weir, Alison. The Children of Henry VIII. New York, N.Y.: Ballantine Books, 1996. While this book does not concentrate its attention upon Anne Boleyn, it does give insight into her relationship with her daughter Elizabeth and stepdaughter Mary. Anne possessed a great hatred for Mary and had even urged Henry to have her put to death. On the other hand, Mary refused to acknowledge Anne as the Queen. Eventually Mary would serve as caretaker and ad a role model to Elizabeth as she was growing up. Upon Anne's death, Elizabeth would receive the harsh and cruel treatment that Mary had. Both of Henry's daughters had lived in uncertainty while their brother Edward, was always secure. There is a helpful chart of the heirs of Henry VIII. This is not a useful book on Anne Boleyn but it does help understand the relationship she had with her children. Williamson, Hugh Ross. The Conspirators and the Crown.

New York, N.Y.: Hawthorn Books, 1959. The book does not focus a great deal upon the life of Anne Boleyn. It does, however, mention the poor relationship that existed between Anne and her stepdaughter Mary who was only eight years younger than Anne herself. The author also discusses the allegations that Anne had an affair with dancing man, Mark Smeaton. Mary would accuse stepsister Elizabeth of being the product of that affair. This book does not focus upon Anne Boleyn, it only briefly mentions her in a sporadic fashion. It is however, an interesting book in discussing the relationship between Anne's daughter Elizabeth, and stepsister half-sister Mary. Mary let Elizabeth stay at the court and was a kind of role model to Elizabeth during her younger years. Elizabeth was pronounced illegitimate as Mary had also been once before. There is only a brief index and some pictures included. There is no bibliography to further assist the reader and to also prove legitimacy to Williamson's work. Zagorin, Perez. "Sir Thomas Wyatt and the Court of Henry VIII." The Journal of Medieval and Renaissance Studies, Winter 1993, 113-141.

Although the article deals basically with Thomas Wyatt and his life at the court of Henry VIII, it does examine the relationship between Anne Boleyn and he. The article refers to Castiglione's Book of the Courtier, and also those who condemned the life of a courtship. Not only Wyatt, but also his family was part of the Tudor family service, and they had profited substantially in doing so. The article examines the role Wyatt played in the Privy Council and the allegations brought against him. He faced an allegation of having an affair with Queen Anne Boleyn. Wyatt would not only face death in this matter but once again with the fall of Thomas Cromwell, the same man responsible for endangering his life in the first case. Wyatt's poetry is examined and the possibility that some of it may have been dedicated to Anne Boleyn is explored. The author concludes that Wyatt probably, at one point loved Boleyn, but that he actually had an affair with her is hard to believe. This article is quite long and extensive. It is a valuable piece written about Wyatt's life and it is also useful in examining the relationship between Wyatt and Boleyn. Anne Boleyn Chapel of St.

Peter ad Vincula at the Tower of London Anne's Early Years For a woman who played such an important part in English history, we know remarkably little about her earliest years. Antonia Fraser puts Anne's birth at 1500 or 1501, probably at Blickling (Norfolk) and the date of birth seems to be at the end of May or early June. Other historians put Anne's birth as late as 1507 or 1509. Anne spent part of her childhood at the court of the Archduchess Margaret. Fraser puts her age at 12-13, as that was the minimum age for a 'fille d'honneur'. It was from there that she was transferred to the household of Mary, Henry VIII's sister, who was married to Louis XII of France. Anne's sister Mary was already in 'the French Queen's' attendance. However, when Louis died, Mary Boleyn returned to England with Mary Tudor, while Anne remained in France to attend Claude, the new French queen. Anne remained in France for the next 6 or 7 years.

Because of her position, it is possible that she was at the Field of Cloth of Gold, the famous meeting between Henry VIII and the French king, Francis I. During her stay in France she learned to speak French fluently and developed a taste for French clothes, poetry and music. Anne's Appearance The legend of Anne Boleyn always includes a sixth finger and a large mole or goiter on her neck. However, one would have to wonder if a woman with these oddities (not to mention the numerous other moles and warts she was said to have) would be so captivating to the king. She may have had some small moles, as most people do, but they would be more like the attractive 'beauty marks'. A quote from the Venetian Ambassador said she was 'not one of the handsomest women in the world...'. She was considered moderately pretty. But, one must consider what 'pretty' was in the 16th century. Anne was the opposite of the pale, blonde-haired, blue-eyed image of beauty. She had dark, olive-colored skin, thick dark brown hair and dark brown eyes which often appeared black. Those large dark eyes were often singled out in descriptions of Anne.

She clearly used them, and the fascination they aroused, to her advantage whenever possible. She was of average height, had small breasts and a long, elegant neck. The argument continues as to whether or not she really had an extra finger on one of her hands, but it seems to be unlikely. Life in England and the Attentions of the King Anne returned to England around 1521 for details for her marriage were being worked out. Meanwhile she went to court to attend Queen Catherine. Her first recorded appearance at Court was March 1, 1522 at a masque. After her marriage to the heir of Ormonde fell through, she began an affair with Henry Percy, also a rich heir. Cardinal Wolsey put a stop to the romance, which could be why Anne engendered such a hatred of him later in life. It has been suggested that Wolsey stepped in on behalf of the King to remove Percy from the scene because he had already noticed Anne and wanted her for himself. Fraser asserts that this is not the case since the romance between Anne and Percy ended in 1522 and the King didn't notice Anne until 1526. It is possible that Anne had a precontract with Percy.

Somewhere in this time, Anne also had a relationship of some sort with the poet Sir Thomas Wyatt. Wyatt was married in 1520, so the timing of the supposed affair is uncertain. Wyatt was separated from his wife, but there could be little suggestion of his eventual marriage to Anne. Theirs appears to be more of a courtly love. Exactly when and where Henry VIII first noticed Anne is not known. It is likely that Henry sought to make Anne his mistress, as he had her sister Mary years before. Maybe drawing on the example of Elizabeth Woodville, Queen to Edward IV (and maternal grandmother to Henry VIII) who was said to have told King Edward that she would only be his wife, not his mistress, Anne denied Henry VIII sexual favors. We don't know who first had the idea of marriage, but eventually it evolved into "Queen or nothing" for Anne. At first, the court probably thought that Anne would just end up as another one of Henry's mistresses. But, in 1527 we see that Henry began to seek an annulment of his marriage to Catherine, making him free to marry again.

King Henry's passion for Anne can be attested to in the love letters he wrote to her when she was away from court. Henry hated writing letters, and very few documents in his own hand survive. However, 17 love letters to Anne remain and are preserved in the Vatican library. The Rise of Anne Boleyn In 1528, Anne's emergence at Court began. Anne also showed real interest in religious reform and may have introduced some of the 'new ideas' to Henry, and gaining the hatred of some members of the Court. When the court spent Christmas at Greenwich that year, Anne was lodged in nice apartments near those of the King. The legal debates on the marriage of Henry and Catherine of Aragon continued on. Anne was no doubt frustrated by the lack of progress. Her famous temper and tongue showed themselves at times in famous arguments between her and Henry for all the court to see. Anne feared that Henry might go back to Catherine if the marriage could not be annulled and Anne would have wasted time that she could have used to make an advantageous marriage. Anne was not popular with the people of England.

They were upset to learn that at the Christmas celebrations of 1529, Anne was given precedence over the Duchesses of Norfolk and Suffolk, the latter of which was the King's own sister, Mary. In this period, records show that Henry began to spend more and more on Anne, buying her clothes, jewelry, and things for her amusement such as playing cards and bows and arrows. The waiting continued and Anne's position continued to rise. On the first day of September 1532, she was created Marquess of Pembroke, a title she held in her own right. In October, she held a position of honor at meetings between Henry and the French King in Calais. Queen Anne Sometime near the end of 1532, Anne finally gave way and by December she was pregnant. To avoid any questions of the legitimacy of the child, Henry was forced into action. Sometime near St. Paul's Day (January 25) 1533, Anne and Henry were secretly married. Although the King's marriage to Catherine was not dissolved, in the King's mind it had never existed in the first place, so he was free to marry whomever he wanted.

On May 23, the Archbishop officially proclaimed that the marriage of Henry and Catherine was invalid. Plans for Anne's coronation began. In preparation, she had been brought by water from Greenwich to the Tower of London dressed in cloth of gold. The barges following her were said to stretch for four miles down the Thames. On the 1st of June, she left the Tower in procession to Westminster Abbey, where she became a crowned and anointed Queen in a ceremony led by Thomas Cranmer, the Archbishop of Canterbury. [ Read an account of her coronation ] By August, preparations were being made for the birth of Anne's child, which was sure to be a boy. Names were being chosen, with Edward and Henry the top choices. The proclamation of the child's birth had already been written with 'prince' used to refer to the child. Anne took to her chamber, according to custom, on August 26, 1533 and on September 7, at about 3:00 in the afternoon, the Princess Elizabeth was born. Her christening service was scaled down, but still a pleasant affair. The princess' white christening robes can currently be seen on display at Sudeley Castle in England.

Anne now knew that it was imperative that she produce a son. By January of 1534, she was pregnant again, but the child was either miscarried or stillborn. In 1535, she became pregnant again but miscarried by the end of January. The child was reported to have been a boy. The Queen was quite upset, and blamed the miscarriage on her state of mind after hearing that Henry had taken a fall in jousting. She had to have known at this point that her failure to produce a living male heir was a threat to her own life, especially since the King's fancy for one of her ladies-in-waiting, Jane Seymour, began to grow. The Fall of Anne Boleyn Anne's enemies at court began to plot against her using the King's attentions to Jane Seymour as the catalyst for action. Cromwell began to move in action to bring down the Queen. He persuaded the King to sign a document calling for an investigation that would possibly result in charges of treason. On April 30, 1536, Anne's musician and friend for several years, Mark Smeaton, was arrested and probably tortured into making 'revelations' about the Queen.

Next, Sir Henry Norris was arrested and taken to the Tower of London. Then the Queen's own brother, George Boleyn, Lord Rochford was arrested. On May 2, the Queen herself was arrested at Greenwich and was informed of the charges against her: adultery, incest and plotting to murder the King. She was then taken to the Tower by barge along the same path she had traveled to prepare for her coronation just three years earlier. In fact, she was lodged in the same rooms she had held on that occasion. There were several more arrests. Sir Francis Weston and William Brereton were charged with adultery with the Queen. Sir Thomas Wyatt was also arrested, but later released. They were put on trial with Smeaton and Norris at Westminster Hall on May 12, 1536. The men were not allowed to defend themselves, as was the case in charges of treason. They were found guilty and received the required punishment: they were to be hanged at Tyburn, cut down while still living and then disemboweled and quartered. On Monday the 15th, the Queen and her brother were put on trial at the Great Hall of the Tower of London.

It is estimated that some 2000 people attended. Anne conducted herself in a calm and dignified manner, denying all the charges against her. Her brother was tried next, with his own wife testifying against him (she got her due later in the scandal of Kathryn Howard). Even though the evidence against them was scant, they were both found guilty, with the sentence being read by their uncle, Thomas Howard , the Duke of Norfolk. They were to be either burnt at the stake (which was the punishment for incest) or beheaded, at the discretion of the King. The Executions On May 17, George Boleyn was executed on Tower Hill. The other four men condemned with the Queen had their sentences commuted from the grisly fate at Tyburn to a simple beheading at the Tower with Lord Rochford. Anne knew that her time would soon come and started to become hysterical, her behavior swinging from great levity to body- wracking sobs. She received news that an expert swordsman from Calais had been summoned, who would no doubt deliver a cleaner blow with a sharp sword than the traditional axe. It was then that she made the famous comment about her 'little neck'.

Interestingly, shortly before her execution on charges of adultery, the Queen's marriage to the King was dissolved and declared invalid. One would wonder then how she could have committed adultery if she had in fact never been married to the King, but this was overlooked, as were so many other lapses of logic in the charges against Anne. They came for Anne on the morning of May 19 to take her to the Tower Green, where she was to be afforded the dignity of a private execution. [ Read the Constable's recollection of this morning ]. She made a short speech [ read the text of Anne's speech ] before kneeling on the scaffold. She removed her headdress (which was an English gable hood and not her usual French hood, according to contemporary reports) and her ladies tied a blindfold over her eyes. The sword itself had been hidden under the straw. The swordsman cut off her head with one swift stroke. Anne's body and head were put into an arrow chest and buried in an unmarked grave in the Chapel of St. Peter ad Vincula which adjoined the Tower Green.

Her body was one that was identified in renovations of the chapel under the reign of Queen Victoria, so Anne's final resting place is now marked in the marble floor. Execution | Queen Anne Boleyn Mar 2012 Anne Boleyn's resting place Anne Boleyn was executed on 19 May 1536. Although the executioner from Calais was ordered even before she was tried and found guilty, no one took care of a proper burial for Anne Boleyn. After she was decapitated with a French sword, her distressed ladies wrapped the late queen’s head and body into a cloth and buried her in an arrow chest within the walls of St. Peter Ad Vincula chapel. But why was Anne Boleyn buried in an arrow chest? During her time as Henry VIII fiancée, Anne Boleyn was showered with magnificent gifts. As Retha M. Warnicke wrote in her book: “Throughout 1530 Henry continued to purchase gifts for her, often for her amusement, as, for example, a shaft, bows, arrows and a shooting glove in May. Archery was a sport she seems to have especially enjoyed, since additional bows were obtained for her. “(p.

96) Henry VIII loved hunting and Anne Boleyn shared his passion. But Henry loved hunting also in a symbolic meaning – he loved to chase the ladies of the court. And he chased Anne Boleyn for almost a year before she finally surrendered, and agreed to become his wife. For the whole year the king was “stricken with the dart of love”. Henry’s love for Anne Boleyn caused him many frustrations. He was consumed with passion that was fuelled with Anne’s refusal. He wanted her and no other woman. But she was playing him to her own advantage, or perhaps she hoped that the king will soon forget about her and find a new mistress. In any case, even when Anne withdrew herself from the court life, the king was eager to have her. In one of his letters he wrote: Feb 2012 "The Tudors" On this day in history 13 February 1542 Jane Boleyn, Lady Rochford, widow of George Boleyn and former sister-in-law of ill-fated Queen Anne Boleyn, was executed along fifth wife of Henry VIII, teenage Catherine Howard. Lady Rochford remains a mysterious and controversial historic figure.

Through centuries she was perceived as a wicked wife who provided a false testimony against her husband and his sister. I must admit – Jane Boleyn is one of those historic characters that I feel especially drawn to. In today’s article I will take a closer look at Jane and her involvement in the Boleyn’s downfall. My article is also a guest post on the blog On the Tudor Trail Who Jane Boleyn was? She was born as Jane Parker, daughter of Henry Parker, 10th Baron Morley and Alice St John. Jane was related to King Henry VIII and therefore her family was politically active, respected and well-connected at the court. Jane’s date of birth remains unknown although the most probable date seems to be c. 1505. Although no portrait of Jane survived, she was probably considered attractive in her times – she was chosen to play in prestigious “Château Vert” masque at Court in 1522, where also her future sisters-in-law (Anne and Mary Boleyn) played their parts. Jane played the role of Constancy, Anne Boleyn was Perseverance, Mary Boleyn was Kindness, and the King’s sister Mary Rose Tudor was Beauty.

Jane & the Boleyn family The date of marriage between Jane Parker and George Boleyn is not recorded; according to Alison Weir they married ‘late in 1524’. They were both about the same age, young and attractive, members of prominent English families.

Question: Apart from Anne Boleyn, which other wife of Henry 8th was executed?
Answer: Catherine Howard